It's barren outside, but I think it's fake.

Kinda everything is fake. Pretty, but fake.

Except Lori, perhaps. God, she's hot. And unless it's all this elaborate CGI, I'm pretty sure she's real.

"Bro, how long have you been drooling on the window?"

"Longer than you've been relevant."

"Whatever. I'll be in the funhouse. Probably my scheduled time anyway."

These pathetic salt flats can't be all that's out there. So, Lori- as far as I understand- goes to all kinds of places. Could that all be a simulation? Green screens? Some kind of movie mind-trick?

Walking by the busy rooms, the hallway stays lit and the walls are solid. They're loud enough to faintly penetrate through the walls, but not enough to disrupt the next room over.

It's almost as if the designer of this building kind of had it in mind, intentionally designing this hallway like so. Just to rub it in my face.

A maid quietly asks, tilting her head in attempt to seem cute, "Corvus, you seem bored, is there anything you'd like?"

I stop in my tracks. Not even really sure what to tell her. Lori, maybe, I was about to mutter.

"Perhaps I could meet your needs in Room 12-"

"Nah, not that," I shoo her away. I already spent the morning with some other girl.

"Please do not forget that the director will do roll call for after-lunch exercise soon. I would like to see you there, Corvus," the maid softly grins as I tread away.

"Yeah, yeah."

She's cute, but come on. Really getting tired of this.

~~

"Thank you, Cory," the same maid lies next to me in todays bedroom. "That was amazing."

I keep tight lipped, blankly staring at the ceiling. She crawls back onto me, in search for my attention.

"What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing." I pat her on her head.

A small grumble puffs out of her nose.

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"Thanks," I mutter. "You did your job, have a nice day," I say while maintaining my dead-focus on the blank ceiling.

The door closes behind her.I eventually drag myself out of the bed, re-dress, and find my way to the gym.

We do a cycle of 9 different muscle groups throughout the week; arms, back, abs, chest, jumping, sprints, upper and lower body flexibility, neck.

Our top performers start squeezing, slapping, and admiring each other, cracking jokes, while I continue my withdrawal.

In the midst of my hot water zen, JJ sticks a bar of soap between my ass cheeks. I pick it up and throw it back at him while he giggles.

"There's no window for you to stare out, what the fuck got your attention here?"

"Fuck off."

Then back out to the rest of the Compound. Another maid rings the Afternoon Bell and one guy picks her up and takes her to a room.

In the middle of the chaos enters an abnormally tall and somewhat slender woman, rocking a flashy, somewhat revealing dress with long white hair done in two large curls at either side. Everyone starts to bow in rows on her sides.

JJ shoves me in the middle of my back onto the ground. "Get your head down, dumbass," he angrily whispers.

The Compound Managers, one male and one female, click their heels under their salute. "Mother Elin."

"Afternoon, my sons and daughters," the tall woman says in a frighteningly smooth, low tone. "How goes it in our Compound?"

"Full of vigor, vitality, and virility as always," the two bootlickers say in harmony.

Elin smirks and mutters a small, evil chuckle as she smirks at us. "Pleased to hear as always." Her high heels thump against the carpeted floor, one foot in line with the other like a runway model. I could almost feel her weight stepping on me as she approaches.

That woman cannot be made of flesh.

Nearly pissing my pants in fear, I tip my head back down as Elin walks by. From the sounds of it, she smirks at either me, JJ, or the dude on my right, and keeps walking. As she goes by, I peek up to see her glancing at me for a split second, smirking again, then continuing away, not missing a step.

She has no pupils either. Just a plain, sky blue iris.

And holy shit, her boobs are huge. Like, two cantelopes.

I glance at JJ. "Who-"

"Tell you later! Shut up!"

We both place our heads back down as the Managers walk by. They catch up to Elin and start discussing something beyond our earshot. Two heavy doors close behind them, and everyone gets right back up.

"That's Elin Auna, she's like the dictator of Hedonia," JJ says to me. "How do you not know about her?"

"I don't watch TV like you do."

"Whatever. Anyway, I'll cut to the chase. I heard she smells and tastes like fresh fruit, and makes you cum your brains out. Like literally. The few here who had the privilege say they can't even think straight for hours after getting some with her. She has some kind of mind control she uses when she fucks you."

"The fuck?"

"Not kidding, bro," JJ shakes his head. "This is just what I'm told, just the local folk tales. Do what she says, you may even get a chance to fuck her. Don't, well, I mean, she'll do worse to you than Death could dream to."

"I mean that's cool, but I still want Lori."

"Whatever, Cory," JJ rolls his eyes before walking away. "Seems like you have a thing for chicks that can tear you to shreds with one hand. Looks like your chances of either are about the same. I've got another Chosen to shag, see ya."

In the art studio I spent the rest of the night trying to draw Lori while re-watching the reruns of the last episode of Jackal Hunter on the intranet. Much to no surprise I crumpled up a lot of them in shame of my poor workmanship.

I really wonder how doctored everything on the computers here at the Compound are. Other times I also wonder if there's even a point to wonder. Not like I can ever see what's outside the place anyway.

Not alive, at least.